My Genealogy Hound

James I. Summers, postmaster and merchant at Bourbon, is a native of Washington County, Mo. His birth occurred in 1850, and he was the fifth of the eleven children of whom Richard A. and Matilda (Matlock) Summers were the parents, being natives, respectively, of Kentucky and Tennessee. Reared a farmer, James I. received but a meager education in the country schools, and when twenty years of age began doing for himself, serving an apprenticeship and following the blacksmith’s trade for about fourteen years. In 1830 he married Martha A., the daughter of J. W. and Mary A. Record, the former originally from Tennessee, and the latter a native of Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Summers are the parents of five children, viz.: Cora O., Carick E., Cyrus C. and Guy S. (twins), and James I., Jr. After his marriage Mr. Summers followed the blacksmith's trade at various places for some time, and about the year 1879 located in Bourbon, where he worked in the same capacity until 1884, when he purchased the mercantile business of J. R. Hamil, and carries a stock of goods worth about $1,500 or $1,600. In 1885 Mr. Summers was appointed postmaster of Bourbon, which office he has since filled to the satisfaction of all and the credit of himself. In politics a Democrat, he cast his first presidential vote for Hancock. The family is highly esteemed by many friends and acquaintances.